1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of eye protection, and, more particularly, to flip-to-wear eye shields.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Protective eyewear usually covers the eye area in order to prevent particulates, infectious fluids, or chemicals, or light and other harmful rays such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, lasers, and so on from striking the eyes. Commonly referred to as eye shields, protective eyewear comes in a variety of forms such as goggles, masks, glasses, etc. and is useful in a number of different activities to protect a user's eyes from harm. For example, protective eyewear is especially useful for splash protection in health and safety-related environments where the user's eyes may be exposed to chemicals, blood-borne pathogens or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Protective eyewear may also be used by workers in a construction zone to prevent harmful debris or other particles or materials from striking workers'eyes. Protective eye wear is also important in sports and other outdoor activities like bicycling, running or sunbathing where a user's eyes may need protection from wind, dust or other air-borne debris or from harmful light and ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Protective eyewear can be very expensive depending on the application. For example, cyclists use very expensive protective eyewear to protect their eyes from wind, sunlight and from dust and other debris striking a user's eyes at high speeds. A cyclist's protective eyewear can become damaged, lost or stolen and often has to be replaced on a regular basis, which can lead to significant expense due to the replacement value of the protective eyewear. Additionally, in certain industries eye shields may become contaminated or otherwise damaged after every use, which can lead to significant expense for eye shields with high replacement value. For example, eye shields used in a laboratory or emergency room environment may become contaminated due to exposure or potential exposure to OPIM.
As a result, certain eye shields are designed to be disposable after a single use. Disposable eye shields are useful in these cases since an eye shield may become contaminated or damaged during use and replacing the eye shield can be more cost-effective or practical than sterilizing a contaminated eye shield or repairing a damaged eye shield. In many eases it is safer and more time and cost efficient to simply discard the eye shields after use rather than attempt to disinfect or otherwise decontaminate them. Additionally, regulations may require protective eyewear to be disposable after a single use. For example, in an operating room environment it may be required by government regulations for users to dispose of their protective eyewear following surgery or other medical procedure.
Many eye shields on the market today are also fairly cumbersome and difficult to store due to having a relatively large profile. These eye shields usually consist of a static, right-angle lens and frame design which can be cumbersome to carry around when not in use and must be stored in specially designed cases that are also quite cumbersome based on their larger profiles. These eye shields may be designed to be folded and stored in a case and require cleaning or wiping to keep the lens area clean. Additionally, packaging and transporting eye shields to the point of sale can be very difficult because of their cumbersome profile in the static, right-angle lens and frame design. For example, eye shields for use in a laboratory or medical-related environments are often packaged and sold in a preassembled configuration so that they may be easily used right out of the package. However, preassembled eye shields are often cumbersome to store and transport because they are packaged and shipped in the preassembled configuration which requires a large amount of space in their storage and/or shipping containers. These containers may only store a limited number of disposable eye shields. In addition these containers may require more space than is practically available at the eye shield's point-of-use, such as in a medical treatment room.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,214,921, titled “Flip-to-wear eye shield,” assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a flip-to-wear eye shield designed for efficient storage and ease of use. The eye shield may be dispensed in a compact, easy-to-assemble configuration in which one or more hinges allow a protective lens to pivot with respect to a frame from a first substantially flat position for compact storage to a second position ready for use. However, the eye shield requires the manufacture and assembly of multiple discrete components, including a protective lens, a frame and hinges which may clip or mount onto the frame. As a result, the eye shield requires increased time and cost to manufacture and assemble.